Big Idea

Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Prepare the Learner

15 minutes

Morning Message

I review position words with students as needed. I have student place their hands under their chin, behind their head, over their head, etc. I vary the position words daily and repeat most of them because my students are second language learners and this helps build fluency with these words.

My students have the most trouble with between, so I have the practice putting their head between their hands, placing their hands near each ear.

Write the following on chart paper or on the board:

The soft sand is under my feet.

The hot sun is in the sky.

The bathing suit is far from the towel.

We look for shade to get out of the heat.

The season is summer.

We read each sentence and students interact with the message by underlining the position words (under, in far).

I have students talk to partners to identify the capital letter at the beginning of the sentence, sight words and punctuation marks. (Suggestion: Underline the capital letters in green, circle the periods in red, and sight words may be highlighted in yellow.)

I ask students what information the morning message gave to show it was summer.

Interact with text

Using video is something I am incorporating in my classroom much more with Common Core. As students get older, they will be expected to listen to learn in addition to read to learn. Using this video with the support of the book sets the stage for just that!

Students are seated on the carpet with me in front of the SmartBoard. I tell the kids: We are going to watch a video about Weather. A video is sort of like a big book that we listen to. It is almost the same as when I read you a book, but this 'book' has moving pictures! Just like with out books, I want you to listen to learn.

1st view is in its entirety as an unencumbered view. I do this so that students get the gist of the video.

Students move to their desks for the second viewing of the video because they will be listening for and recording information gleaned from the video onto a Note Taking Guide

2nd view: I play video and stop at :30 for students to read question. I say: Let's read the question together. (What is weather?) I ask: Did anyone hear what the video told us the answer is to that question? (Weather is changes in the air around us)I say: Let's trace answer on note taking guide. I have the students trace the words weather, changes and air. I model tracing the words on the document camera as students follow me and trace at the same time.

Say: We are going to watch the rest of the video to discover the four kinds of weather. Be listening for the types of weather and what it looks like in the picture.

I stop video at 1:12 to record two kinds of weather. I model: I heard ___ and ___. So I am going to draw those two types in my first two boxes. Eyes on me. You are watching. (students watch me as I illustrate two weather types) I up the rigor for challenge: I am going to write the words that go with my weather pictures. Help me sound them out and I am going to write them in the box with the picture! We sound the words out together. They tell me letters to write as I stretch the word. I direct: Boys and girls, you may write the words or draw pictures or do both like I did!

Students illustrate and/or may write words for two types of weather they heard on the video. I am monitoring and assisting where necessary. I do this to offer that individual support that is so important to student learning.

Continue to the end of the video and let students draw two more kinds of weather in the last two boxes. I encourage students to try to write the words that go with their weather picture by using the letters and sounds they know. They can also use our sound spelling cards to help them. Here is a student note taking guide!

"Weather" notetaking guide

weather notetaking student

Extend Understanding

20 minutes

The Weather Song

This is the fifth lesson in the unit. We sing The Weather Song many times throughout the unit to remind the kids of what each season brings. It is a fun quick warm up to any lesson on seasons and can also help kids remember the order of the seasons.

I almost always (sometimes there just isn't an action) give the students some TPR (Total Physical Response) to help them remember the song and the weather types. It is a common strategy used with second language learners, but it can be used with any student!

Because this is a unit on Seasons and weather, we will act as meteorologists throughout the unit, observing and recording the daily weather. We want the kids to make personal connections to their learning so they see it as meaningful learning, and this logbook does just that!

I ask: What is the date today? We write the date.

I ask:What is the weather like outside today? We draw the weather, circle the word that names the weather.

I ask: What sentence could we write to go with our weather picture? What words can we use to describe or tell about our picture? We write a simple sentence describing their daily observation (It is sunny. We see rain.).

I ask:How many boxes should we color in for our weather today?(one)Do we color from the bottom up or the top down?(bottom up) Students will then record the daily weather on a bar graph in their log.

After completing log, students will discuss with a partner the weather results for the week. (How many sunny days? How many windy days?, Which weather condition has more?, has less? Etc..)